Behind The Spirits
by Arctic Zero
Summary: There were many Ionian heroes in the Noxus-Ionia war. This is merely one of them, and how he went from a peaceful farmer, to a soldier, and to being Irelia's student.
1. Chapter 1

There will always be people willing to stand up in the face of danger. Those who'd give up their stable life and enter a battlefield filled with loss, regret, and death to ensure that those who did not take up arms won't ever have to. That is the reasoning behind Tachi Takeda, a tall young man from the Placidium, Capital of Ionia, to take up a blade and don the armor of war to face the oncoming onslaught of the power-hungry war machine known as Noxus. Often times, in his life, he cherished his homeland. The rice paddy farm that his family owned, and the lush forests that surrounded the Placidium. When he agreed to take part in the defense of the capital, he turned away from the things he enjoyed and saw the face of war. Houses and crops burned. Families separated. Young and old, man or woman, the enemy did not discriminate in who they attacked or killed, or who they captured and forced into labor. Behind him was the home he never wanted to leave, and in front of him was impending doom. The only thing that stood in the latter's way was him. Or so he thought.

* * *

On the day Tachi became ten years old, his father gave him lots of responsibilities around the farm. Though, this did not stop the young boy from escaping his errands and wandering the village, following his own agenda. He spent all his life on that farm, and he knew what needed to be done at what time. It just happens that he could do his responsibilities at times he deemed was right, and those times often conflicted with his father's idea. Due to his frequent escapes from responsibility, his father had to hire someone in his place. Tachi was grateful that his father found a replacement for him, and he would leave early in the morning to do who knows what, only to return late at night and sneak to the pantry to eat something. It wasn't until one morning when he woke up late that he saw the replacement. She was a beautiful girl with hair that went down her back, skin so fair that she might have been a deity, and eyes that you could stare into forever. A gentle breeze caused her to fix her hair that had blown into her face, and it was then that she met Tachi's gaze. He briefly looked away as if he had done something wrong, only to fail at resisting on looking back. She gave him a questioning look, and Tachi responded by stepping out of the house, sunlight bathing his skin and the summer heat permeating in the air.

"Wonderful day, huh?" Tachi said to the girl, walking up to her slowly with a calm demeanor despite the unforgiving heat.

"It's hot. Too hot," came the woman's reply, before sighing lightly and turning her gaze to the rice paddies. Her dress was soiled with mud, her hands were still wet from planting rice, and her face had wipe marks, probably from her wiping the sweat off her brow with her muddy hands. She didn't look at Tachi when she spoke again, "And you're supposed to be doing this, not me."

"You're right, but you're getting paid, aren't you?" Tachi asked, crossing his arms as he stood next to the woman and observed the rice paddies. Her technique was flawless. The rice paddies couldn't have looked better with the rows and columns of rice that were neatly planted with pinpoint accuracy, in a shorter amount of time than he would've done.

"I'm not in it for the money, I just want to help out."

"What's your name?" Tachi inquired as he turned from the rice fields to the girl by his side.

"Akari."

"I'm Tach-"

"I know who you are," Akari interrupted, giving Tachi a quick glare. "The whole neighborhood knows who you are."

Tachi blinked at being interrupted, and couldn't help but somehow wilt at the unnerving glare she gave him. He was taller than her by a large margin, but the short girl had a fire in her eyes that melted any kind of defense Tachi had. "And what might the neighborhood say about me?" he asked her, his tone carrying his notion that she was lying.

"You're the biggest slacker this place knows, and don't you deny it," she responded, before turning not just her head but her body to Tachi. She peered up into his onyx eyes and prodded his chest with a muddy finger. "But now that we know each other, don't expect to be doing that all the time. I'll work you like an ox."

"You?" Tachi asked with disbelief, "Hah, why I could just-"

Akari was giving Tachi a death stare. He had resisted against many of those stares from his parents, but when it came from this woman he was defenseless. Happy at the frightened look Tachi gave her in response, Akari would slap him in the back and pushed him towards the rice paddies. "Some of them are empty, now go fill them up!" She yelled. Tachi would head out to the rice fields and begin planting rice at an incredible speed, albeit sloppy.

A pattern would start to develop rather quickly. Early in the morning, Akari would arrive at the Takeda residence and wake Tachi up, often times having to drag him out of bed. She'd feed him some ricecakes or a salted riceball with the latest catch of mackarel because she knew a fisherman that gave her free fish each day. He'd sometimes have to be force fed because he refused to eat, the reason being he was too sleepy or it was too early. And just like she told him, Akari made Tachi work like an ox. He'd complain at the end of the day, being tired and sore and whatnot, but Akari's energy would keep pushing him to do more things, but not related to the farm. Often times they'd head out of the farm and help with fishing, or just spend time with each other. Over time, Tachi became more and more responsible, and his parents definitely noticed the improvement in their son's behavior. There came a time where his parents stopped asking where he was going to late at night, or where he's returning from. They knew Akari was keeping him in check, and they knew Akari and Tachi were near inseparable. Akari and Tachi's bond grew from friendship to a deeper form of friendship. She'd come by every day for work and teach him a thing or two in swordsmanship, Tachi would take her out to do something fun, and then they'd part ways and go home. No complaints until they have to turn their backs to each other under the starry night, but both were also excited to rise in the morning to see each other again.

One year, a devastating storm rampaged through Tachi's neighborhood. It claimed lives and houses, and Akari's home and parents were taken by nature. Tachi's family invited her to live in their home, and Tachi helped Akari overcome her sadness. It hurt him to see her sad, to hear her sobbing in the dark in the guest room, or to see her too depressed to do anything. With patience and a lot of embarrassing acts, Tachi eventually brought back Akari's smile. And with it, his own. Their feelings blossomed into love, but both were afraid of rejection, causing them to defer taking the next step. One autumn when they both hit 15 years old, during the Autumn Harvest Festival, Tachi made the first move. After a day of tasting various foods, participating in games and festivities, then praying for safe passage through the winter, Tachi brought Akari to a vacant spot that had a good view of the sky for the fireworks.

"Had fun?" Tachi asked Akari as they sat next to each other in traditional Ionian clothes.

"Lots," Akari replied, looking toward the booths and stalls of the food vendors of the festival.

"When do you want to build that tree house?" Tachi questioned, as Akari had been talking about wanting to make a sort of hideout where the two of them can spend some time in.

"Soon. Maybe tomorrow, maybe next week. I'll have to see."

Tachi would merely nod, then looked up at the starry night sky before turning to look at Akari. Her hair was let down instead of the usual ponytail, her lips were scarlet, her cheeks rosy, and her eyes alluring. He flashed a toothy smile at her before saying, "You look wonderful."

"Oh, you," Akari said as she lightly batted at Tachi's arm. She blushed brightly and hoped Tachi didn't catch it, but he was good at picking up small changes. "You're the one that put it on me. Thank yourself," she replied.

"What about me? How do I look?" Tachi asked.

"You look like a mess," Akari stated, looking away. Tachi frowned a little but Akari retrained her gaze upon his, "But I can see that inside, you are wonderful. Brave, kind... something about it is just... attractive."

As soon as she finished that sentence, the first boom followed by the bright light of the fireworks began. The fireworks show was filled with variety, sporting nearly every color in the light spectrum and in different patterns that looked revolutionary. As the final lights in the sky died out, Tachi looked over to Akari, surprised to see that she was already looking at him. He didn't delay much by thinking of whether or not they simultaneously looked at each other or if she had been looking at him the whole time. He'd gaze into her eyes that seemed to moist up because of the cold or something, and then slowly brought his hand to hold her's. Akari looked a little surprised, but she interlaced their fingers in response to his move. She smiled brightly at him with a faint giggle. While no words were being spoken, Tachi and Akari knew that they were taking the next step in their relationship, that they were ready to move further than just being friends. Tachi leaned in slowly towards Akari, and Akari closed her eyes as she tilted her head upwards to compensate for the height difference. Slowly but surely, their lips came closer until they were sealed in their first kiss.

More kisses were to be had between the two, some more casual than others. Their activities went from playful to romantic, and their neighborhood was soon aware of their relationship as it was too obvious to hide. They were together almost everywhere, they ate together, and there had been rumors that Akari and Tachi no longer slept in separate beds. With this attention all around them, Tachi and Akari felt even more in love with each other; their love a blossoming flower that would grow even further with care. When Tachi and Akari felt that their next step was ready, they went to Tachi's parents and asked for their permission to get married. Since their parents had been the firsthand witnesses of their relationship, they agreed. Weeks later, Tachi and Akari kissed once more as husband and wife. Their marriage started off a little rocky, with Tachi's father dying of sickness just a few months after their marriage, and his mother suddenly disappearing not a week later. With Tachi at his lowest, Akari stayed by his side and embraced him. When she lost her parents, Tachi did everything he could to help her through it. Now, she's given the chance to repay his kindness, and not just as a friend. As his wife. For the next week and a half, Tachi would try to carry on without his parents. He often failed in doing his errands correctly, but Akari would take his hand and guide him through it, no matter how troublesome. And as he did for her, she brought back life and happiness to the man she had sworn eternal companionship and love to. Just as they began to settle down, however, news of a foreign invading nation reached them. Both were worried, they knew if the Noxian advance continued, they'd have to take up arms and defend the capital. With this in mind, Akari began taking martial arts once more, Tachi included, however Tachi practiced more of his own sword style. It was fast, efficient, but vulnerable. No matter how lethal it seemed, it was in the spirit of protecting Akari.

And at last, the day came when the Ionian Guard called upon any abled citizen to take up arms and help in the defense of the nation. This was the first time Tachi and Akari had been separated for longer than a day since their marriage. Tachi was placed into an archer unit to garrison the capital, and Akari was placed in a forward unit that would be operating outside of Placidium. Tachi was constantly worried for his wife, and he'd seek out any sort of news that would let him know of her status. Even though he had not seen her name in the list of people killed in action, he was wrecked with worry that the worst had happened. Eventually, he began to turn his worry into rage toward the Noxians, and his rage was an effective fuel at shooting arrows accurately at the weak spots of the Noxian armor. There would be Noxian raids near Placidium, and Tachi would be dispatched with the rest of his unit to rain down arrows and Ionian aggression onto the invaders, and if that did not deal with it, then he'd charge headlong into battle with reckless efficiency at spilling Noxian blood. Sometimes, they came from a bamboo forest, sometimes they hid in muddy swamps to assault a Noxian supply caravan. With guerilla tactics suggested by Tachi, he eventually was given a rank in which he could command a decent amount of soldiers. His unit employed hit-and-run strategies, but also served as scouts for the garrison command in Placidium. It was there that he met Irelia, who gave an inspiring speech to the soldiers.

"What you do here... The battles you fight, the pain and suffering and horrors you endure, are more than any person should face, yet you do so. Day after day. Week after week. When one conflict ends, another begins. Most would turn and flee. Most would say 'what is the point?'" Irelia said, then would smile softly at the gathered soldiers who stood in neat formations as they looked up to her on a stage. "And yet you stay. You endure. Because of that, because of your selflessness and dedication and skill and inteligence and... The list goes on and on. Because of you, people like me can survive. Because of you, our kinsmen have homes to return to. I can never find words strong enough to express the gravity of what has been done for our lands, in this city or any other. My thanks are not enough. This speech is nowhere near enough. But it is a start. It is something. And I pray for the safety of our forces every day. May your heart guide you well, and bring you safely home to enjoy the peace you have created."

The uproar that followed was music to Irelia's ears. To know that her people were aggressive defenders despite their calm and peaceful lives prior to this war comforted her. However, she caught Tachi gaze. She saw he wasn't loudly cheering like everyone else, but she figured he was merely among the types of men who were constantly serious. She brushed it off for the moment as she stepped down from the stage and went to attend to her duties. Almost every day after that speech for the next two weeks, Irelia and Tachi would cross paths. Irelia would be picking up little bits about Tachi from the way he acts, but Tachi was none the wiser. One day, news came to the Placidium that their forward forces had been decimated by Noxian soldiers. Tachi looked through the list of names believed to be involved and took off the moment he saw Akari's name. With a handful of his best soldiers, he rode a horse to the last known position of Akari's unit and found her along with several survivors of her unit held prisoner. He stealthily maneuvered to a nearby observation point to see the layout of the little Noxian camp and how to properly assault it to free the prisoners. Patience was one of Tachi's most well-known virtues, but soon he'd prove it wrong. A rowdy bunch of Noxian soldiers who were also drunk would stand from their seats by a bonfire and made their way to the tied-up Akari. Tachi didn't hear what they were saying, but he saw that one of them pulled her arms and pinned them to the ground, while two others ripped her clothes and spread her legs and held them down. The last one was fiddling around with his belt. Right as he stepped in between Akari's thigh's however, a whistling arrow came from the treeline and hit him right at the base of his skull, causing him to fall forward on Akari. The soldiers restraining her saw the arrow and drew their swords as they called for the camp to arms. Soon, several more whistling arrows drew the Noxians' attention to the sky. With their attention above and not on the ground, Tachi and a few others rushed in and took the soldiers by surprise, opening up with a devastating charge with their swords and spears that punctured through Noxian armor with little to no resistance as Ionian rage powered the thrust. Their blood squirted from behind their armors and some even splattered upon their Ionian murderers. Tachi in particular was bathed in blood, both his and the enemies'. The sight of him was enough for Noxian soldiers to be on the defensive, but Tachi was not someone who relented in his assault, especially when Akari was in danger. He ruthlessly swung his sword at the surrendering Noxians' throats, then lopped off the heads of the men who attempted to rape Akari. He placed them on spearheads and left them standing around the bonfired they made.

Akari was frightened, and not because she almost got raped. It was Tachi's brutal technique of murder. It was her that taught him where to strike to make sure the enemy feels the pain the most... but with a stick. A sword would make the blows much more agonizing, such as a stab to the throat that only partially cut off the windpipe, causing the victim to completely feel themselves drowning in their own blood. Akari would sit up from her position, and Tachi came over to cut her bonds. With her now free hands, she covered herself up. Tachi handed her his cloak that denoted his rank, which she wore gingerly as if she'd be in trouble if she hastily wore it. Soon, however, another Noxian scouting party happened upon the camp, and they outnumbered the Ionians at least 2-to-1. While several had retreated, Tachi merely flicked the blood off of his sword and began to approached the incoming soldiers.

"Tachi, you'll die!" Akari exclaimed, trying to reach out for her husband, but it was too late.

Tachi charged forward and attacked the Noxians with godlike speed, using their bodies as platforms to launch himself and avoid retaliation. The moon illuminated his sword every swing, and the sight of the after-images of his blade inspired Tachi's comrades to join in on the fight, as if Tachi's onslaught was their permission to let out every single drop of their hatred towards the Noxians and let loose without anyone to judge them. The controlled, cultured, and passive Ionians turned into vicious killers who seemed to enjoy every single cut they made against the Noxians. When the clanging of steel and the shouts of anger and the screams of pain halted, Akari only saw Tachi and two Noxians facing each other. Tachi's armor shone brightly with dark fluid, his clothes no longer a pale purple as it was soaked with blood, his face painted in the crimson of his enemies's blood. The life of the Noxians he killed dripped from his blade, and with two more standing, it was not going to dry just yet. The Noxians charged. Tachi charged. Tachi took a spearhead to the shoulder and a deep cut to the side, but he still drove his sword through a Noxian's throat, and used his now free hands to clutch at the other Noxian's mouth and pulled him down to the ground and pried his mouth open until his jaw broke, then Tachi stabbed an arrow into his open mouth.

When all was done, Tachi yelled into the night sky with tears. The shock of combat, the realization that murdering Noxians gave him pleasure... it scared him. It made him sad. Akari trudged through the bodies of dead soldiers before she lifted Tachi up by the arms and put his arm around her shoulder.

"Shh... It's alright, now. You've won. Let's go home," She whispered into his ear, before helping him walk back to the Placidium. However, she found out that between them and Placidium was a large Noxian force that sieged the capital. They'd have to be invisible to sneak through that. For the next day, Akari treated Tachi's wounds and find food for them, meeting scattered Ionian troops along the way and leading them back to her camp where she organized a respectable amount of soldiers. Now, they can entertain the option of fighting through the Noxian army to get back to the Placidium's walls. But first, the soldiers need to recuperate, and they need a leader. Their leader lay on the ground, his head on Akari's lap, and his name repeated by Akari, "Tachi, my dear... I'm not rushing you or anything, but... These soldiers need you. Placidium needs you. Master Irelia needs you," she said, but being the thinker she was, she would add in, "Well, she needs everyone. But every single soldier helps, and we got a group, so she needs you to lead them back to her."

She would caress his cheek and looked warmly at his sleeping face. She sang mostly for Tachi, but to the gathered soldiers in her camp as well.

"In the time between going to bed and dreaming,  
I close my eyes, and there's the universe.  
Be rocked by the moon and forget your troubles.  
Think about...  
How you'll become a child when you reach the stars.  
They haven't changed since the distant past.  
A swirling pattern that envelops you...

Enveloped, enveloped...  
As if happiness is raising to hug you.  
I'll count the stars for you,  
as you sleep quietly in my arms like...  
A sweet child, yes, a sweet child.  
Listen to the moon and stars' words while you sleep in the light of your guardian deity."

Tomorrow was a new day. The fight to reach the Placidium has just begun.


	2. Chapter 2

Dawn peaked from the horizon and splashed sunlight against the hidden Ionian troops in the thick forests where Akari had made camp a few days prior as she gathered the scattered Ionian front and helped them prepare for the push to Placidium. Tachi had regained combat readiness and was ready to run back and defend the Placidium with his life. He was strapping his armor back on, testing his bowstring, and keeping an eye on the sun's position. They were lucky enough to be at the base of a small hill that sat at the right flank of the Noxian troops who had dug ditches to sleep in. Attack the encampment was a foolish move, but that wasn't their goal. They just needed to get past it and reach Placidium's gates. Tachi was ready. His gaze was filled with his fervor, and no one could topple his pillar of confidence. Akari approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his body, leaning her chin on his shoulder. Her warmth bolstered his building zeal, but he knew she only did this whenever she was about to say bad news.

"What's the matter?" Tachi asked, tilting his head sideways to lean his head against Akari's.

"If we do get past the Noxians, who's to say our people will just open the gates for us? I'm sure the Noxians will chase us. Opening the gates for us would mean opening the gates for them," Akari mentioned, closing her eyes for a brief moment.

"...I never thought of that."

"Well, now is a good time to. You're about to rush headlong into the fight without knowledge if you're going to come out alive."

"Akari, we're soldiers. We never know if we're coming out alive when we fight."

"Hmph. I never signed up for this," Akari said, chuckling lightly before releasing her husband from her embrace and going off to get geared herself.

That was a really important aspect, what Akari had mentioned. Who's going to open the gate for them when there are Noxians chasing right by their heels? Tachi thought of different ways to approach the problem at hand, but there was little possibility for the rallying Ionian troops outside the wall to make it through the gate into the safety of the defenses of the Placidium without the Noxians charging through the same entrance. Tachi was no tactician, he honestly didn't have a clue how to proceed with his plan without changing it to an assault on the flank of the Noxian army. Honestly, that seemed like the best idea. The chances of the troops with Tachi to survive were bleak, so they might as well show these Noxian invaders what Ionian aggression was all about. Tachi was set. This was the course of action. Just as he turned to inform his group, he heard the loud and chilling chorus of warhorns erupt behind him, followed by the rumbling of the ground. The leaves on the trees shook, and Tachi's heart dropped as he figured out what was about to happen.

"RUN!" Tachi shouted to his fellow warriors as he sprinted past them and away from Placidium. What did they see? What was the army of ditch-sleeping Noxians? Were they not sieging the Placidium?

The confused Ionian troops by Tachi and Akari's camp looked to Tachi before they saw the banner of Noxus peaking over the hill. They followed Tachi soon afterward, taking only their weapons with them. Akari raced to Tachi's side, searching his face for answers, but she found none. Tachi just kept his gaze ahead as he led his group in their retreat. However, his eyes widened, and Akari looked ahead to see what it was that caused her husband to change expression. To her (and the rest of the group's) surprise, they saw the masks and red gleam of the Takeda family's armor, a family known to have abandoned their pursuit of martial arts and focused on agriculture. Tachi's relatives. The Takeda platoon didn't seem like they were here to talk. In fact, when Tachi and the others stopped, the Takeda platoon rushed past them, weapons raised. They were charging the Noxian detachment. Tachi's group of 70 men and women battered but armed, suddenly found themselves thrust into a battle they did not prepare for. Nevertheless, they were eager to help their fellow Ionians and were bolstered by Tachi's sudden turn of direction. His sword drawn and raised, his voice shouting out a warcry. He was now charging with the rest of his relatives. Unfortunately for the platoon, the Noxians took full advantage of the hill as they charged down slope to meet them in battle. The spears of the front lines from both sides inflicted heavy casualties at the clash, and the momentum of the following troops behind the front pushed the battle line in favor of the Noxians who had higher ground. The Takeda platoon, formerly 55 in strength was now reinforced by Tachi's group of 70 to form a strong 125-man resistance to the upcoming 900 Noxian troops.

Tachi roared and jumped into the fray with reckless abandon, the crest on his armor getting painted with Noxian blood as he sheared through the gaps in their armors, or sometimes just straight up cutting through the lightly armored ones. Akari would also water the ground with Noxian blood, her banshee-like scream deafening the enemy, and her graceful cuts were precise. A calculated way to kill. Though bleak and almost futile, the Takeda platoon offered a decent resistance as their battle started to attract the attention of the Placidium garrison. A battle that moved from place to place, the Ionians trying hit-and-run tactics combined with front-line combat, and finally the length. Three hours. On the third hour, when the ground was muddy from the blood spilt, the Takeda platoon barely had any fighting force left, but the whistling arrows from three archer groups that had sallied out of the Placidium defenses took the attention of the Noxian troops. Some were unlucky enough to have been killed by an arrow without knowing what hit them. Eventually, the Noxian troops were forced to retreat. The tattered banner of the Takeda platoon fluttered in the refreshing breeze that carried the scent of death through the front gates of Placidium. Tachi suffered a stab wound to the leg and right above his kidney while Akari had deep cuts on her shoulder and hip. As their wounds were being treated inside the safety of Placidium's walls, the Takeda platoon searched for Tachi. They found him getting stitches, but their representative demanded the medical supervisor to have a word with him.

"What is it?" Tachi called out, the medical supervisor turning around and respecting the conversation.

"I am Takeda, Chuhou. Sir, we are leaderless. I'm to assume command, however there is a person ahead of me in the line of succession..."

"...Me?" Tachi asked, his brows furrowing.

"Yes, sir."

"I suppose... We are all family. If I was chosen to lead, then so be it... I'll have to ask you to wait until I'm done being patched up, Chuhou. Thank you."

With that, Chuhou turned and left the field hospital. Akari was outside, and upon seeing Chuhou exit, she walked into the hospital and sat by Tachi's side, her wounds already treated. There were no words exchanged between the two. They just stared into each other's eyes, their emotions being sent to each other through their gaze and their smile. Their little moment was interrupted, however, as the hospital fell silent at the entry of the appointed Captain of the Guard, Irelia.

"I am searching for the individual that led the skirmish this morning," she said with a firm tone.

"He's dead," Tachi said, raising his voice to catch Irelia's attention. He sat up, aided by Akari, and looked at the silver-haired warrior.

"Well, then. Who's in charge of the Takeda outside?"

"I am," Tachi said, now trying to stand. The nurse tending to his wounds wanted him to remain seated, but Akari helped him to his feet.

Irelia hastily walked over to Tachi and Akari, giving them a cold stare before her eyes wandered to the bandages the pair wore. "You came from the Southwest. Tell me, what is the situation of the Ionian Guard there?"

"I don't kn-" Tachi started, though immediately cut off by Akari.

"We didn't come with the Takeda. We were actually camped out in the treeline behind the Noxian group who were blockading the front gate. We just joined them in battle." Akari said.

"And you are?" Irelia questioned Akari.

"Takeda, Akari. Wife to this man, Tachi."

"I admire your honesty and your loyalty, Akari. Have you heard from any of the Takeda troops about the question I had asked?"

"Not specifically... but if I were to piece the dots together, then I believe the Takeda platoon were survivors of Navori."

"Navori has fallen to Noxus, then..." Irelia said, more in a hushed tone as she hid her worries.

"We might have more scattered troops trying to rally to the Placidium," Tachi added.

"We won't risk what little troops we have here," Irelia said, "If Navori has fallen, then the Placidium is the Noxians' next target. With mountain ranges protecting the capital and our Eastern flank, they have to march straight to us if they want to conquer our nation. But we won't let them."

Tachi and Akari stared silently at Irelia.

"I appreciate your efforts of breaking the blockade, Tachi, Akari. Now we should try to get as much supplies as possible into the Placidium before the main force of the Noxian army arrives. As much as I'd hate to say it..." Irelia trailed off as she locked eyes with Tachi, "I need you to scout with the rest of your platoon. We need to know what the Noxians are bringing. If you find messengers or supply caravans going to the Noxians, feel free to do as you wish, but make it back here alive."

"Yes, ma'am..." Tachi said, a bit confused at the sudden amount of responsibility being dumped on him.

"For Ionia," Irelia said, offering Tachi a salute before turning on her heel without waiting for a response.

Tachi figured she had a LOT to do, as the newly appointed Captain of the Guard. He steeled himself for the upcoming mountain of tasks needed to be done in a very short amount of time. The Noxians aren't known for taking their time during conquest, and so neither can the Ionians. The first thing was to suit back up. Akari helped Tachi wear his armor, giving him a few kisses on the back of the neck as if sneaking in affection in a time of hardship and struggle. Tachi would smile a bit, the stinging sensation of the weight of his wargear pressing against the bandages that served only to stop the bleeding in hopes of a clot forming. Moving too much would most likely prevent the recovery, but that's just literally paying blood to do the jobs he was given. Something to brag about if he survives this war, or if there's anyone left to brag to. As he took his first steps out of the tent, he found the remnants of his family platoon all lined up in rows. They all gave him a deep bow, then a salute to recognize his rise to power, and Tachi returned the bow with a few words of encouragement. He could see that the soldiers were starting to lose hope, and he feared that their morale would break at the most critical moment. Tachi and his platoon were given horses, as their previous owners had either died or been captured. With mobility no longer an issue, Tachi rode out of the Placidium defenses armed with his bow, his arrows, and his sword; Akari and the others behind him. They headed southeast, the direction heavily suspected to be where the Noxians will advance from. He led his platoon through the dense forests, a place where those who do not know the landmarks would get easily lost in, and took several other shortcuts to get to strategic locations as quick as possible. Luckily for them, Noxian supply caravans had been happening to pass through chokepoints in the roads cutting through the forests. With the Takeda's specialty for horseback combat, along with Tachi's hit-and-run tactics, they were able to waylay the supply caravans effectively. Tachi and his troops only took arrows from the Noxian supplies to replenish their quivers, and burned the rest. Including Noxian orders and troop displacement documents. Akari questioned this, but Tachi assured her that they do not need those vital pieces of information. If they want to get anywhere North of Navori, then they will pass through Placidium, unless they want to stall and take a long route towards the Northern regions of Ionia.

A few days later, on the return trip to Placidium, Tachi and his platoon heard an odd buzzing noise, something unnatural. Tachi traced the location of the sound only to hear a loud whizzing sound fly past his face and into the neck of the soldier next to him. It was Chuhou. Tachi looked back up and found the advancing formation of legions of Noxians heading straight for them. Tachi panicked and ordered a full retreat to Placidium, kicking his horse into a gallop back to the defenses. Half an hour later, Tachi was at Irelia's office, giving a report of the Noxians. Within an hour, the defenses of the Placidium were manned, and the formation of Noxians were at their doorstep. The Ionians gave a menacing glare at the Noxians hungry to wet the ground with Ionian blood. A few words were yelled out, and suddenly a volley of arrows from behind the walls were launched and rained down on the enemies, piercing lightly through the armored Noxians, while penetrating completely on the lightly armored. Soon afterward, Tachi and the others manning the walls fired volleys of their own, and for a while it would alternate until the order was given to fire at will. At the same time, ladders were being pulled in from the Noxian side and propped up against the walls. In a valiant effort, the Ionians bravely fought off the people climbing the ladders, however with Noxian arrows finding their mark and whittling down the troops, the wall was breached. There were three levels in the Placidium's defenses, all were carved into the natural landscape, making it easier for the Ionians to traverse with their lighter armor compared to the hunkering weight that the Noxians carried. With their speed hampered, the Ionians had more time to shoot arrows and fire their trebuchets before having to engage in close combat again.

On the second level, there was little cover from arrows. It was a flat terrace-esque platform, and the next level up were filled with Ionia's best marksmen, shooting down death from above. Those who made the climb up the first wall were met with a volley of arrows, and the defense held despite the Noxian siege engines doing heavy damage on the fortifications. Unfortunately, needle-tipped arrows meant for armor piercing couldn't pierce through to cause enough damage when the backbone of the Noxian army busted through the doors of the first level, and began battering the second door. Despite all this, arrows still flew, but those at the walls of the second level prepared a spear wall to fend off the incoming wave. The spears the Ionians used were rather long, with reinforced shafts to prevent breaking, and long blades for cutting or stabbing to maximize versatility. A few more waves of Noxians came, and despite their tactics and bravery, Noxian armor prevailed over the iron will of the Ionians and they were pushed back to the third and final level of defenses. Arrows still rained down. Boulders and other massive projectiles were being flung by both sides at each other. Spears, and now swords, were being brandished. Amongst the chaos, Tachi found himself close to Akari, both of them tired and bathed in their enemies' blood. The Takeda platoon was nearly wiped out, and from the looks of the battle, it doesn't look like any of the men will survive. Tachi had already seen what the Noxians did to the women they had captured, and that was a fate he did not wish to happen to Akari. Tachi was ready to lose his life in the battle if it meant bringing Ionia closer to victory.

A calm breeze swept by, spreading the smell of burning buildings and fresh corpses along the battlefield. There didn't seem to be a break between the onslaught of the Noxians and the unrelenting defense of the Ionians. It did not help the wilting morale of the defending Ionians who were now entertaining the thought of surrender. Tachi and Akari found a some respite in the back lines as they swapped places with fresh troops. They sat next to each other and held onto their weapons for the inevitable breach of the defenses. Tachi's morale wavered as well, and his words reflected it.

"Do you think we will win?" Tachi asked, looking deep into Akari's eyes as the thundering sound of the Noxian battering ram tried to break down the gate to the third level echoed in the background.

"Of course we will. If we lose here, how will we go about settling down, having lots of children, and growing old together?" Akari replied, holding Tachi's cheek.

"You're right," Tachi said, feeling slightly better. Though it didn't abate the restlessness that is the impending defeat, Tachi was bolstered enough to continue the fight.

Tachi was unfortunately one of the few that found their second wind. Upon realizing the graveness of the situation, Tachi was about to stand and rally the people, but Irelia appeared with her father's sword in hand.

"Will you sit here and wait for the invaders to come take everything you love? Will you just sit there and watch as they water our gardens with the blood of our people, burn homes with the fuel of our land, and desecrate the Ionian way of life? Stand and fight! Show them what it means to face Ionia's defenders!" Irelia shouted out.

There was silence. Not many were inspired by the young Irelia's words, but there were a handful. Tachi and what's left of his unit all rose and offered their support, and slowly they roused others into rallying under Irelia's command. However, the morale restored wasn't enough to push the Ionians forward. That was when Tachi called for volunteers, for those who wanted to die right now in the name of Ionia's freedom, to gather and stay at the gate to mount a suicide attack on the Noxians. The gathering was filled with soldiers saying their goodbyes, or making peace with themselves, but it was clamorous. Tachi caught Irelia's gaze, one of worry and hope, and he'd give her a confident smile and a wave before he turned to give Akari the deepest kiss he could. This was techincally goodbye. That's when he caught a glimpse of an odd figure with banners for wings. He looked extremely sinister, but for some reason, Tachi listened to his words attentively. The figure looked like a demon with a menacing sword that looked like it was pulsing with life. His redness reflected the blood spilt this day, and Tachi's group of volunteers gave him their full attention.

"You are all brave souls, but do you know what you're fighting for?" the figure asked, "All this death... destruction... Everything that has caused you anguish... Have you ever wanted to just get revenge on whoever caused it? Now's your chance, Ionians. Those soldiers past the door you will go through is the reason why your people are dying. The reason why you cannot live in peace. The reason why you are here, right now, fighting a battle you shouldn't even be fighting. It's their fault. Over there lies revenge. Take it, it's yours!" The figure yelled, pointing his sword towards the gate.

Oddly enough, he vanished soon afterward, like he was just some hallucination, but Tachi was filled with rage. So were the other soldiers. With one bloodcurdling battlecry, they surged through the gates conveniently as the Noxians were pulling back for another ram, and Ionian weapons spilt Noxian blood with such reckless abandon that they had a chance of hurting their allies in the process. The sudden charge and the decimation of their front line took the Noxians by surprise, not expecting a suicidal counter-attack. Tachi's unit was so filled with anger against the Noxians that they looked rabid. Wild. Barbaric. The grace of Ionian martial art went out the window and in came the massacre fueled by hatred and wrath. Just the sight of Tachi's unit fighting brought the other Ionian's to join up, including Irelia herself. They jumped down the staircase and engaged in combat, effectively pushing the Noxians out of the second level. With the same frightening force, they cleared the first level and were stuck in what seemed to be a stalemate in terms of advancing or retreating. Neither side wished to yield. At this time, Irelia was afflicted with Noxian necromancy and her life ebbed away slowly as soldiers rushed to her side to protect her. Tachi witnessed her guards getting killed one by one, and the same dark figure appeared right before him.

"There, beyond the defenses. That's where the source of your leader's pain is. And they will continue if you do nothing. Will you do nothing? Go, cut the courage from them. Every kill brings victory closer. I can see fear in you, but let fear become fury. Teach THEM to fear YOU. Remember that hesitation is death. Go, surpass the frailty of your form. Sow the seeds of strife. Rage. Rage against the dying of the light."

And as Tachi blinked, the figure was gone, but Tachi had his objective. He had his directives, and the fuel to drive him to finish it. He let out a scream with all his fury behind it and cleaved through his enemies with blinding speed, achieving several cuts in rapid succession, advancing outside of Placidium's defenses and into the backline of the Noxian army. There were other warriors that followed him, and they all watched each other's back. Akari wasn't one to be left behind, and she was right by her husband's side as they fought. Tachi would often pick up weapons of his fallen opponents to slam it into the chest of another enemy. Tachi made sure he made cuts at vital points to ensure a painful death. He retaliated with brute force. Even if he was cut, stabbed, bludgeoned, or burned, he would roar back into battle. He is consumed by rage that he couldn't feel pain. He picked up another sword from a fallen Noxian and used his ambidexterity to full use in painting the ground with warm blood and severed limbs. He lived up to his reputation with the Noxians. He showed them why they called him the "Terror of the North."

Unfortunately, Zaunite chemical weapons were still effective on the counter-attacking Ionians, and a sort of liquid was spilled onto Tachi's eyes which caused him to shut them close. His eyes burned, but as he tried to open them, his vision was hazy. He could barely tell who was who, what was what, but it just added onto the list of things he blamed on the invaders. He heard a voice, but he couldn't decipher who's it was. Akari found Tachi on the ground, and she yelled out his name. She rushed to him, ignoring the many attacks sent to her in order to make it to Tachi in time. She fended off any Noxians who came close, killing them with cold efficiency just as she used to, and was confronted by a large Noxian soldier who was nearly twice Akari's size. As Akari tried to attack, the brute grabbed her wrists and held her up and off her feet. She squirmed in his grasp, but she screamed as she felt the sharp and burning pain of a blade being thrusted through her chest. She looked down and saw that the blade was Ionian, and it also pierced through the throat of the brute that was holding her. There was a moment of stillness before Akari was dropped by the Noxian who fell backwards and started choking in his own blood. She turned to find Tachi dumbfounded, eyes wide and full of immediate regret. He pulled out his sword and held Akari in his arms as Ionian soldiers ran past him to continue the fight.

"Akari...!" Tachi spoke, the shock breaking the effects of his rage. He frantically tried to cover her chest in a futile attempt to stop the bleeding.

"You big dummy..." Akari said, holding Tachi's hand weakly.

"I'm sorry, I'm so-"

"Shh..." Akari reached a hand up to cup Tachi's cheek in her palm, the blood on her fingers smearing against his face. "I-It's an unfortunate accident, you know..."

Tachi's eyes filled with tears and he clenched his teeth in anger. His hopes were alone in the desolate night sky. They soared high until they were utterly crushed. He took a breath before saying, "Every time the world changes... the things I want to protect... I end up breaking them."

"You've come so far," Akari started, before having a difficult time swallowing the blood that threatened to choke her, "You've grown so much since we first met... Do you remember how we met?"

Tachi blinked away his tears as he held Akari in his arms gently. "Of course..."

"You were such a brat back then," Akari chuckled lightly. She seemed to digress as she looked onto the backs of the advancing Ionian soldiers. "Are you satisfied with how the world is...?" She asked.

Tachi remained silent and pressed Akari's hand against his cheek.

"Go," Akari returned her attention to Tachi, a tear slipping down from an eye, "Find your answer. Search for your redemption."

And with that, she closed her eyes for eternity, and her hand fell from Tachi's face. Tachi was puzzled at his wife's final words, but it did not stop him from crying and wanting to end his life so he could join her in the next, though he quickly looked over to the clashing lines of Noxians and Ionians, and channeled his sadness into hate as he fumbled around for his sword and left Akari's body as he ran to the front lines. He let out a deafening battlecry that served both as a relief for his pain and an expression of his anger. Fighters from both sides paused for a moment to see the source of such a tremendous roar, which opened the way for Tachi to jump into the Noxian formation and allow him to wreak havoc. He was soon jumped on by several soldiers, and the Ionians picked them off one by one until Tachi knocked the Noxians off with a bold outward cut that broke the Noxian formation. With the Noxians trying to comprehend what just happened, Tachi clenched his fists as if trying to break his own fingers, glared at the sky, and roared like the rage of Ionia was embodied within him.

It wasn't long before Irelia decimated the Noxian troops after her awakening. The day was won, but the cost of victory robbed it of the feeling of victory. The next few days were spent gathering the dead from the battlefield and either burying them or burning them to avoid a disease from spreading into the fortifications of Placidium. Tachi's company had all died. Akari has died. Tachi had lost everything. When fresh troops arrived from Ionia's capital to reinforce Placidium, some were directed to Tachi for inquiries on the battle.

"After all that... What's it like? How did you survive?" One soldier asked.

Tachi stared at the ground with eyes lacking any sort of life or spark of energy. "Who said I did?"


End file.
